‘Tis the Last Rose of Summer by Thomas Moore is a sad poem that has been very popular around the world for years. It is about getting older, and watching your friends and loved ones die around you until you are the last person left of your group.
It is a moving poem and unsurprisingly the lyrics were set to music and the song of the same name became a massive success. To read about the history of the song, watch videos from famous performers and learn the chords and lyrics, click here and visit our sister site www.irishmusicdaily.com.
‘Tis the Last Rose of Summer
‘Tis the last rose of summer,
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
No rose-bud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
Or give sigh for sigh.
I’ll not leave thee, thou lone one!
To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go sleep thou with them.
Thus kindly I scatter
Thy leaves o’er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.
So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
And from Love’s shining circle
The gems drop away.
When true hearts lie wither’d,
And fond ones are flown,
Oh ! who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?
